Presteigne, Powys factory protestors jailed for £320k damage

The incident occurred at the Teledyne Labtech factory in Presteigne on the morning of December 9, 2022, and saw hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage caused to the facility which manufactures printed circuit boards.

Susan Bagshaw, 65, Morwenna Grey, 41, Tristan Dixon, 34 and Ruth Hogg, 40, all appeared before Mold Crown Court for sentencing on Monday (June 26). 

Bagshaw, of Clawdd Helyg, Commins Coch, Grey, of Penrallt Street, Machynlleth, and Dixon, of Huddersfield, had previously admitted conspiracy to cause criminal damage. 

Hogg, of Stanley Road, Aberystwyth, had been found guilty of the same offence after a trial at Caernarfon Crown Court last month. 

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Prosecuting, Elen Owen said at about 6am on December, Bagshaw and Grey, wearing orange overalls with the words 'Palestine Action' taped on the back and balaclavas over their faces, began to smash their way into the front entrance of the factory.

They were carrying a sledgehammer, crowbar, smoke cannisters and a fire extinguisher which had been filled with red paint. 

Grey and Bagshaw smashed computer equipment, monitors and furniture, and sprayed paint on machinery. 

Palestine Action protestors have broken into and destroyed equipment at Teledyne Labtech Ltd in Presteigne. Pics by Vladimir Morozov

Spray paint was also daubed over a memorial to a former employee at the factory who had died from cancer. 

The court heard that Hogg and Dixon had climbed on to the roof, but were also equipped with a sledgehammer, crowbar and a drill. Hogg, who was also carrying a rucksack filled with smoke cannisters, and Dixon began to damage the roof by smashing 17 skylight windows, causing glass to shower down on to the factory floor. They also drilled holes in the roof. 

Grey and Bagshaw attempted to flee the scene, but were apprehended by members of staff and arrested upon arrival of the police. 

Hogg and Dixon remained on the roof, continuing to damage items and unveiling a banner with the words 'Palestine Action' on it. 

READ MORE: Presteigne factory protestor convicted over damage

They eventually came down off the roof at about 10.45am, at which point they were arrested. 

The damage done to the factory was said to be "extensive", and it was forced to close for a week for cleaning and repair works. 

Paint had been driven into the mechanisms of hot running equipment, and flares had been lit near acid and alkaline baths. In the chemical processing area, alkaline bath covers had been smashed, causing fumes to leak from them. Paint had also been poured in the baths. 

In a statement read out to the court, the manager of the plant said that it was close to being a "catastrophically serious incident".

The group had caused around £320,000 worth of damage. As a result of the incident, Teledyne Labtech Ltd was also forced to secure the facility, at the cost of around £900,000. It is anticipated that the repairs to the factory will not be complete until the autumn.

Due to chemical processes at the site having the potential to form cyanide, the fire service on scene instructed that the power and gas at the facility be turned off. Nearby roads were cordoned off and a school situated close by was closed. 

Palestine Action protestors have broken into and destroyed equipment at Teledyne Labtech Ltd in Presteigne. Pics by Vladimir Morozov

The PCBs designed at the factory are commonly used in MRI scanners in hospitals, radars in planes and satellite antennas. 

The court heard that the group had believed that the PCBs were also being sold to "third parties" who used them to manufacture missiles and other military hardware - which, they claimed, was used in the Israel-Palestine conflict and in the war in Yemen.

At Hogg's trial, employees called to give evidence denied any knowledge of this, and the court heard that the defendants lacked evidence to support this claim.

The court was told that all four defendants had expressed remorse for their actions, and had vowed not to engage in such behaviour in the future. They had sent a letter to the judge expressing remorse over the incident.

Judge Rhys Rowlands said that the group had "embarked on an episode of destruction" in an incident which required "a high degree of planning".

Hogg, who holds a Masters degree in fine art and worked at a gallery, was sentenced to 27 months imprisonment. 

Bagshaw, Grey and Dixon were each handed 23 months in custody.